Author: Andres-Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 21 2011

It is not right ‘to compare’ Karabakh and Cyprus conflicts
Fri 21 January 2011 08:21 GMT | 10:21 Local Time

‘The Nagorno Karabakh and Cyprus conflicts are completely different
from each other’.
This statement came from president of the Democratic Party of the
Turkish Republic of North Cyprus Serdar Denktash.

He said that Nagorno Karabakh is occupied Azerbaijani territories and
the Azerbaijani population of the territory had been banished from the
region:

‘Cyprus is common territory of Greeks and Turks. The Greek side
attempted to occupy the entire territory of Cyprus in 1974, but the
Turkish side did not reconcile with it and had to interfere. After the
agreement signed in 1976, the Turkish Cypriots living in the south
migrated to the north, and the Greeks living in the north migrated to
the south. We had not occupied the northern territories. The only
occupied thing in this island is the rights of the Turks’.

According to Denktash, it is not right to compare Nagorno Karabakh and
Cyprus conflicts: ‘The only common reason is that both Azerbaijan and
Turkey want to deliver its positions to world community’.

APA

From: A. Papazian

The Armenian Side Of Cher

22.01.2011 | 11:27 | | Noyan Tapan | Articles and Analyses

By UALStaff – January 17, 2011

Say what you want about Kim Kardashian and the other sisters. But for
my money, Cher continues to be my dream girl. Always was. Always will
be.

Not that I have a love affair with the woman. An infatuation for
beauty and talent mixed is more like it. And durability. To continue
going this strong in Hollywood and Las Vegas at the ripe age of 64
probably takes a lot of makeup but more passion for the entertainment
world. She’s still a class act, a true Armenian American icon.

That is why I shall be in her corner come Academy Awards time. If she
doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for her role in the current production
of `Burlesque,’ I shall cancel my subscription to Hollywood Magazine
and demand an investigation.

Her role as the club owner and den mother to a host of showgirls is
truly impeccable. I marveled at her Academy Award-winning performance
in `Moonstruck.’ And I found her just as remarkable in such other
films as `Mask,’ `Witches of Eastwick,’ `Tea with Mussolini,’ and
`Silkwood,’ which earned her an Oscar nomination.

Here’s what one critic has to say about this present campy musical.
`It takes a legend to make a star. Without Cher, `Burlesque’ wouldn’t
work.’

The musical side is just as impressive, going back to the TV days of
Sonny Bono. She’s sold more than 100 million records. Her concert
tours are still sold-out. In truth, Cher knows no hiatus.

Though I’m a tad older than Cher, she was always the one I would
showcase whenever outsiders asked me to identify any prominent
Armenians.

`Well, you know Cher,’ I would respond, calling to mind her given
name, Cherilyn Sarkisian.

`No kidding, Cher’s Armenian?’ they would reply. `I had no idea.’

The year was 1985, precisely 25 years ago. I was a well-groomed
journalist for the Haverhill Gazette and was notified that Cher would
be receiving the coveted Hasty Pudding Award given at Harvard
University as Female Actress of the Year.

I talked my editor into going to Cambridge and covering the story,
despite some resistance. He saw no local connection to the event so I
drummed up an alibi.

`She happens to be a friend of mine,’ I told him. `Can get a personal
story and beat the other Boston papers.’

In some ways, that wasn’t far from the truth, given the ideology that
all Armenians happen to be related through ethnicity. To be meeting
Cher for the first time was indeed a revelation.

There she was, as glamorous as ever, in the back seat of a Mercedes
convertible with the top down, waving to fans in a motorcade through
Harvard Square. I waved, too, but she didn’t see me.

It wasn’t until we had adjourned to an auditorium when a more formal
introduction occurred. I cornered her press agent and told the woman I
was Armenian like Cher and would like a word with her. She obliged me.

`Eench bes es?’ I said, offering an ethnic greeting.

It was then that Cher bowled me over with a perfectly controlled
dialect of Armenian that totally caught me off guard. The woman knew
her language and was relatively fluid, obviously getting it from her
dad’s side. What I learned about John Sarkisian was that he drove a
truck, gambled, and had spent time in prison. It was not the best
relationship for an adolescent.

By Tom Vartabedian

I also quickly discovered other Armenians in the crowd who also began
exercising their native language. Cher had a definite Armenian
following that afternoon and she didn’t disappoint when it came to her
culture and heritage.

There was noticeable pride etched across her face which complemented
her smile. What’s more, I figured if I was going to get the inside
scoop on this starlight, I had better keep talking Armenian.

`What’d she say?’ my competition wondered. `What kind of language is
she speaking? Hey, that’s not fair.’

Well, sir, you should have been born an Armenian and perhaps you could
have gained her better side in this interview, I snickered to myself.
In the end, I came away with a story none of the other papers could
match. Even my editors were amazed.

It’s no secret that Cher has reached out to the indigent of Armenia
over her prominent career. And no wonder that she has shown a distinct
charitable side in supporting people of her kind in this country.

Even today, when people ask me, `Armenian? What’s that?’ I can still
reply after all these years, `You want to know what Armenian is? Go
ask Cher!’

Like her hit song, `The beat goes on!’

USA Armenian Life

From: A. Papazian

LaDépêche.fr
22 janv 2011

Jolimont. Ani, 3 ans, menacée d’expulsion vers l’Arménie

Rassemblement tôt hier matin devant l’école./Photo DDM, Thierry Bordas
L’expulsion en Arménie le mercredi 19 janvier du père de la petite Ani
B. scolarisée à l’école maternelle Reille-Monge et l’obligation de
quitter le territoire français prononcée à l’encontre de sa mère a
suscité l’émoi et la mobilisation de la communauté éducative et des
parents d’élèves. Hier matin avant l’entrée en classe, ils ont été
nombreux à manifester devant l’école, leur soutien à la famille et
fait signer une pétition, en présence des représentants de la Cimade
et de RESF31 (Réseau Éducation Sans frontière), de Marie-Christine
Lafforgue, conseillère générale, de Vincentella de Comarmond,
représentante de la mairie au conseil d’école et de Jean-Jacques
Mirassou, sénateur et conseiller général du canton.

En attente du recours déposé au tribunal administratif
La famille d’Ani est arrivée d’Arménie au mois de septembre 2008 afin
de solliciter la protection de la France. Malgré le refus de la
demande d’asile au mois de mai 2010, la famille a décidé de rester en
France. En effet, les risques en cas de retour ne permettaient pas
d’envisager un avenir serein pour leur petite fille. De plus, Mme B.
est atteinte d’une pathologie particulièrement lourde et bénéficie à
ce titre d’un suivi médical en France. Face à l’obligation à quitter
le territoire français la mère d’Ani attend le résultat du recours
déposé au tribunal administratif dans le but de rester en France avec
sa fille afin d’y poursuivre son traitement médical. Françoise Zamuner
de RESF31, au nom de son association s’avoue « indignée par la
situation que vit cette famille, mais satisfaite sur le fait que ce
dossier d’expulsion ne soit pas traité en catimini et que le préfet
soit mis face à ses responsabilités ». Jean-Jacques Mirassou qui
soutient les parents d’élèves et les enseignants mobilisés autour de
la petite Ani et sa maman, est sur la même longueur d’onde : « Il
s’agit de tout mettre en `uvre pour que, après le père de famille, Ani
et sa maman ne soient pas à leur tour expulsées. A cet effet, j’ai
immédiatement alerté Monsieur le Préfet sur le sort de cette petite
fille qui mérite un meilleur départ dans la vie qu’une menace
d’expulsion dont elle serait la victime innocente. Sa maman, quant à
elle, doit pouvoir accéder à un titre de séjour car le suivi médical
dont elle bénéficie, le justifie pleinement. »

La préfecture reste ferme. Selon la secrétaire générale, Françoise
Souliman, « la demande de dossier d’étranger malade refusée à Madame
B. par la préfecture a été confirmée par le tribunal administratif,
qui a dit que son traitement pouvait lui être administré en Arménie.
Toutes les voies de recours ont été épuisées, il y aura donc
rapidement un regroupement de la famille en Arménie. »

Gérard Freyssenge

From: A. Papazian

Graphivore
22 janv 2011

La bande dessinée arménienne au FIBD

Une délégation de 10 auteurs et éditeurs arméniens au festival d’Angoulême
Une conférence de presse aura lieu le 27 janvier à 16H00

Présidée par Jean Mardikian -cofondateur du FIBD-, l’Association pour
la promotion de la bande dessinée en Arménie (APBDA) est heureuse
d’accueillir une délégation de composée de huit auteurs et de deux
éditeurs de République d’Arménie au 37ème Festival international de la
bande dessinée d’Angoulême. Leur présence permettra d’enrichir les
liens entre la bande dessinée naissante en Arménie et le monde du
neuvième art.

Le but est également de préparer l’année 2012, année où Erevan est
désignée Capitale mondiale du livre par l’UNESCO. En ouverture des
événements liés à cette célébration du livre sous toutes ses formes,
le Ministère de la culture de la République d’Arménie a chargé l’APBDA
d’organiser son troisième Festival de la bande dessinée à Erevan.

Pour mieux présenter la situation et l’avenir de la bande dessinée
arménienne, l’APBDA tient une conférence de presse ouverte à tous en
présence de l’ensemble de la délégation.

le jeudi 27 janvier à 16H00,
restaurant Le Cappadoce
3, rampe d’Aguesseau (face à l’Espace Franquin) à Angoulême
Renseignements, Laurent Mélikian – 06 11 65 12 48

From: A. Papazian

The Globe and Mail (Canada)
January 22, 2011 Saturday

Accused in officer’s murder appears in court

BY: TREVOR MELANSON

The man accused of killing a Toronto police officer with a stolen
snowplow stepped into a packed courtroom with his head hung low.

It was the public’s first glimpse of the 44-year-old charged with
first-degree murder in the death of Sergeant Ryan Russell.

With a bandage over his nose and his arm in a sling, Richard Kachkar
looked slimmer than in photographs published last week. His blond hair
remained closely cropped, but his gaunt face was unshaven.

When asked if he was Richard Kachkar, his response was barely audible.
“Yeah,” he said – the only words he would mutter during a brief court
appearance on Friday morning.

Mr. Kachkar, who was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, also
faces two charges of attempted murder.

Justice of the Peace Milan Then ruled to delay Mr. Kachkar’s bail
hearing to Jan. 25 to give Mr. Kachkar time to find a lawyer.

An hour earlier and a kilometre away, the father of Sgt. Russell
thanked officers and emergency personnel who had travelled from across
Canada and the United States to attend his son’s funeral.

“To those of you who braved the winter weather, standing for hours in
the funeral home, along the streets as our motorcade passed by, we did
see you through our tears,” retired police officer Glenn Russell said.
“It was your good wishes that gave us strength to get through this
most difficult of times.”

On Tuesday, after a march of 12,000 emergency personnel, at least as
many filed into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the funeral of
a man most of them never knew.

Speaking at 52 Division, where Sgt. Russell had worked, Mr. Russell
told the media that his son – the first Toronto officer to die in the
line of duty since 2002 – had always been a proud cop.

Details about Mr. Kachkar, meanwhile, have steadily emerged.

The father of two went to school in Armenia more than two decades ago,
studying architecture, said Detective-Sergeant Dan Nielsen, the
homicide officer leading the investigation into Sgt. Russell’s death.
He also trained as a tool-and-die maker in British Columbia, he added.

Mr. Kachkar worked a sales job for a now-defunct pharmaceutical
company years ago, a job that required him to make regular trips
across Canada and the United States, the detective said.

But officers are still trying to piece together Mr. Kachkar’s
movements during the days leading up to the incident. On Thursday,
Jan. 6, around 5:30 p.m., he briefly visited his wife in St.
Catharines, Ont., and is believed to have bought a bus ticket for
Toronto later that evening.

The next weekend, however, he was spotted in the Niagara Region. One
friend said Mr. Kachkar dropped by his house on Saturday evening,
seeming depressed and not talkative.

It’s not clear exactly when he travelled to Toronto or what he did
before checking himself into the Good Shepherd shelter on Queen Street
last Tuesday.

“He does know some people here, we don’t know who,” said Det.-Sgt.
Nielsen. “We know that he’s been between the two cities.”

He said Mr. Kachkar also lived in homeless shelters in St. Catharines,
but it’s not known where else he stayed in Toronto.

On Jan. 12, Mr. Kachkar is alleged to have stolen a snowplow at around
5 a.m. near Dundas and Parliament streets. The rampage that followed
lasted for nearly two hours, ending around 7 a.m. when Mr. Kachkar was
shot several times by police.

He was released from hospital earlier this week.

With reports from Adrian Morrow, Jill Mahoney and Arti Patel

From: A. Papazian

Aravot, Armenia
Jan 21 2011

Armenian Ararat TV closes, replaced by Holy See’s TV

Another Armenian TV – Ararat – has gone off the air after the December
2010 tender for digital broadcasting license, a pro-opposition
Armenian daily, Aravot said on 21 January. Shoghakat TV, owned by the
Holy See of Armenian Apostolic Church, has taken over the frequency of
Ararat TV although Shoghakat did not even take part in the tender the
paper’s editor-in-chief, Aram Abrahamyan said. However, Armenia’s
National TV and Radio Commission said four Armenian TV channels of
country-wide coverage – TV5, Shoghakat, Hayrenik and ALM, will stop
broadcasting starting from 21 January, Armenian Public TV reported on
20 January.

It was envisaged that only 18 out of the former 22 Armenian TV
channels will stay on air as a result of the 16 December 2010 and 23
December 2010 tenders as a part of Armenia’s TV and radio broadcasting
digitalization switchover. A1+ TV channel, which went off air in 2002,
was unable to get a license as a result of 16 December 2010 tender,
and a TV with regional coverage, GALA, which covered opposition
election campaign in 2008, lost its license in 23 December 2010
tender.

Regardless of the NTRC’s statement Shoghakat logo appeared on Ararat’s
former frequency starting from 21, Aravot said. So, Shoghakat received
Ararat’s frequency without even taking part in the tenders, the
paper’s editor said. Although the editor does not object that Holy See
had a TV channel, he says that Shoghakat could be provided another
frequency without closing down Ararat TV, which had a significant
number of culture programmes, or at least Shoghakat should have
submitted a bid in the tender, Abrahamyan says.

From: A. Papazian

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 21, 2011 Friday

ARMENIA WILL TAKE OFF AT SUKHOI

by Victoria Chernysheva

SECTION: MILITARY INDUSTRIES & CONVERSION; No. 151

HIGHLIGHT: THE FIRST SERIES-MADE LINER SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 IS SOLD;
The first series-made airplane Sukhoi Superjet-100 (the seventh in
total) produced by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aviation production
association was acquired by Armenian air company Armavia. It is
planned to supply four other such airplanes.

The first series-made airplane Sukhoi Superjet-100 (the seventh in
total) produced by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aviation production
association was acquired by Armenian air company Armavia. It is
planned to supply four other such airplanes.

Their catalog price fluctuates from $40 million to $60 million
depending on technical characteristics.

Superjet was completed in the painting workshop of Ulyanovsk-based
Spektr-Avia to which the airplane flew from Komsomolsk-on-Amur being
primed. New materials with a big content of the so-called dry sediment
were used in paining. Such finishing is more durable. Thus, the
Ulyanovsk-based company tested a new technology at the airplane of
Sukhoi. Superjet has a cockpit different from other Russian airplanes.
It does not have a familiar control wheel. Its role is played by a
joystick. Such control scheme is used in Airbus.

Test pilot of the first class Leonid Chikunov said:

– I hope that military pilots will be able to fly such airplanes from
now on. Formerly, the path to civil aviation was blocked for them
because of the difference in controls. I have tested Superjets since
the first flight on May 19 of 2008. The airplanes are comfortable in
controlling. Two seagulls crashed right into the engine during the
tests but this did not influence its work.

>From Ulyanovsk the airplane named Gagarin went to Moscow where it
would pass all certification procedures. After that it will go to
Armenia. The second airplane was built for Aeroflot. Now it is being
pained in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Source: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, January 18, 2011, p. 5

From: A. Papazian

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Jan 21 2011

Turkish, Argentine Foreign ministers meet in Istanbul

LENGTH: 119 words

Turkish and Argentine foreign ministers met in Istanbul on Friday.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Argentine
counterpart Hector Marcos Timerman discussed bilateral relations, and
cooperation between the region where Turkey is situated and Latin
America.

During the meeting, Davutoglu expressed Turkey’s uneasiness about
Buenos Aires’ decision to postpone inauguration of monument of Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of Turkish Republic, due to the Armenian
lobby.

Tierman said his government was not supporting such initiatives, and
Ataturk was a great leader.

From: A. Papazian

Global Insight
January 21, 2011

Armenian Government Plans Launch of Tender for National Broadband Network

BYLINE: Michael Lacquiere

Local Armenian media has reported that a tender for the construction
of a national telecoms network with a capacity of 100 Mbps will be
launched to ISPs “soon”. Armen Grigoryan, secretary of the Council for
Assistance to IT Development, has also indicated that the project will
require investment of between US$60 million and US$100 million. The
winner of the tender will be required to lease network capacity to
other interested companies.

Significance:Leading fixed-line operator Armentel has indicated that
it will participate. Company chief executive Igor Klimko is quoted by
PanArmenian.Net as saying that such a network could not be implemented
without Armentel’s participation. The project was initially mooted
last year, with the World Bank indicating that it would provide a
US$24-million loan (seeArmenia: 28 April 2010:).

From: A. Papazian

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 21, 2011 Friday

“THE MORE SUPERJET IS CRITICIZED THE BIGGER RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER”

by Sergei Starikov

SECTION: MILITARY INDUSTRIES & CONVERSION; No. 151

HIGHLIGHT: INTERVIEW OF PRESIDENT OF AIR COMPANY ARMAVIA MIKHAIL
BAGDASAROV; Armenian air company Armavia, the starting customer of new
Russian airliner Superjet, plans to receive the first airplane between
February and March of 2011. Despite the difficult burden of the
pioneer, the air company has no apprehensions about quality of the new
airplane.

Armenian air company Armavia, the starting customer of new Russian
airliner Superjet, plans to receive the first airplane between
February and March of 2011. Despite the difficult burden of the
pioneer, the air company has no apprehensions about quality of the new
airplane.

Question: When will Armavia receive Superjet airplanes? Have you
already determined the route network? Do I understand it right that so
far these airplanes can be operated only in the countries where
certification of the International Aviation Committee is recognized?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: We plan to put the first Superjet into operation
between February and March of 2011. Its first flight will take place
at that time. Due to understandable reasons, I cannot name the precise
date yet. The plans were slightly different but there was a delay in
obtaining of the certificate for the first series-made airplane of
this type. Preparation of pilots and technical staff is currently
underway.

In the future Superjet will be operated not only in flights to Moscow
but also in all 22 Russian flights of our network. In any case, the
first airplane will fly among Yerevan, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Question: Are you not afraid that something may happen because the
airplane has not transported passengers yet?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: Nothing will happen if everything is prepared and
well considered. We understand that the first customers are always in
a difficult position but we have a possibility to demand what the
follow-up buyers cannot afford from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, a
certain negative attitude to the domestic aircraft builders, first of
all, producers of civil airplanes, was formed in the Russian society
under influence of mass media. If it does not change such industry
will not be necessary for anyone soon. As to the contractual terms,
they change for the better for Armavia because of delay in its
fulfillment. So, I would like to say that approach to business of
Sukhoi Civil Airplanes (SCA) changed seriously in the last few years.
In the past, this was obviously a company that did not inspire
optimism. Due to this reason we rejected Superjet airplanes for a long
time. Now SCA does not differ very much from European designers and
manufacturers, we as buyers of airplanes have felt this and have
started trusting them.

With regard to critique of the project in mass media, it seems to me
that it is better for us if it is criticized. Only in this case the
manufacturer will have responsible attitude to its product.

Question: Incidentally, have the pilots been trained, because there is
no simulator for this airplane still?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: SSJ is not new in avionics. It is a continuation
of the family of Airbus airplanes that we operate actively. That is
why several hours of training are enough and pilots will be able to
pilot the airplane perfectly well.

Question: What if passengers do not wish to fly the new airplane? Or,
on the contrary, is there increased interest in the first flight?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: Passengers do not know yet which of the fifth
daily flights to Moscow will be performed by Superjet. There are only
A319 airplanes in the schedule now. A month before a flight we cannot
include the name of an airplane into the booking systems. Such
information will appear a few days before a flight. If a passenger
does not wish to fly it (I doubt this), we can change the flight and
airplane type without any problem. I am not afraid that the quantity
of passengers will decrease for the flight where it is written SSJ. I
think that the process will be the opposite. I will fly in the first
flight too.

Question: Have you already flown SSJ?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: Not yet. The airplane has not passed certification
and we cannot breach the rules. SSJ airplane passed two months of
tests in Armenia in the hot season in high mountain conditions. We
were even pleasantly surprised that the airplane performed so well.

Question: The technical data of the airplane differ slightly from what
has been declared before. How do you solve this problem with the
manufacturer?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: Practically all characteristics of Superjet
correspond to the previously announced ones except for growth of
weight by two tons. I do not think that this is a problem for the
airplane. Despite this it can compete against any airplanes of this
class! Along with this, there is a hope that some time later we will
be able to exchange the airplane for the airplane that complies with
all parameters, even if this happens a year or two later.

Question: What should SCA do to this airplane?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: It is possible to put this airplane into a museum.
Do not forget that this is airplane number one.

Question: How much have you estimated delay in supply of this airliner?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: Negotiations are underway. I cannot say anything new.

Question: What is the strategy for development of the airplane fleet of Armavia?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: We have a contract on purchase of five SSJ
airplanes now. As you understand, it is too early to speak about the
precise time of their supply. We will operate two regional CRJ 200. We
are finally buying out one of the A320 airplanes that we have operated
and we also plan to buy Boeing 777. Overall, by 2014 we plan to
operate already 30 airplanes.

Question: Have you looked at An-148?

Mikhail Bagdasarov: This airplane also makes a pleasant impression but
there are some aspects that raise questions. Unlike SSJ, it is
produced by an airplane that does not make military products. Spare
parts for An-148 are not produced by well-known international
companies unlike for Superjet. Components that do not comply with
international standards yet are mounted on it. Russian industry needs
time to make An148 an airplane recognized all over the world.

Source: RBC daily, January 19, 2011, p. 11

From: A. Papazian